Songs of the Oak – All Classical Research

Songs of the Oak is a tone poem written in 1943. Not to be confused with another similarly named tone poem by Price from around the same time (The Oak), Songs of the Oak is a bold example of powerful musical storytelling and represents a darker shade to Price’s compositional oeuvre. The piece includes imitations of woodland creatures interacting with the indomitable oak tree. The tolling of chimes indicates the unrelenting passage of time.¹

Douglas W. Shadle, Notes in accompanying booklet, Florence Beatrice Price: Songs of the Oak performed by the Wurttemberg Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Jeter, Naxos 8.559920, 2022, compact disc.

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